Heating systems, air conditioning systems, and other climate control systems are commonly used in homes today. However, in operation, many existing climate control systems suffer from a variety of inefficiencies that result in unwanted energy loss and therefore increased cost. One point of inefficiency in a home climate control system is the windows of the home. A typical glass-paned window (even a double-paned window) allows much more thermal energy (i.e., heat) to escape the house than a corresponding portion (with a similar surface area) of insulated wall. Thus, during the winter, when a home heating system is operating, thermal energy generated by the heating system escapes through a window more easily than through an insulated wall. Similarly, during the summer, when an air conditioner is operating, thermal energy enters the house more easily through the windows than through insulated walls. This undesirable flow of thermal energy through the windows of a house increases the cost of heating or cooling a home.